Deccan Chargers beat Delhi Daredevils by 16 runs, making a return to winning ways in the Indian Premier League. This was a third loss for Delhi in four matches while the Chargers recorded their second win in five games.

Chasing a target of 169 runs, Delhi started in a hurry with Virender Sehwag and David Warner dealing in boundaries from the second over onwards. They took 17 runs off that over from Daniel Christian. Sehwag was gone in the fourth over however, out to a slash in front of point to Harmeet Singh. He made 12 runs off seven balls, all his runs coming in boundaries. It provided a big hiccup for Delhi as they have been found short in their batting resources.

It proved to be the case with Naman Ojha and Aaron Finch following their skipper back to the pavilion very quickly. Delhi were reduced to 38 for three in the 6th over.

Warner continued to wage a lone battle and duly completed his half century. His 51 runs came off 48 balls with five fours and one six, but he found little support for his cause. Irfan Pathan was out caught for five, failing to get going once again.

But before him Yalaka Venugopal Rao got a start and made 21 runs, but simply couldn’t carry on like in the match against Pune Warriors. James Hopes and Yogesh Nagar provided the usual fireworks late in the day but the asking rate had climbed too high for their comfort and Delhi fell short eventually.

Earlier, Deccan Chargers won the toss and elected to bat first. They lost opener Shikhar Dhawan early, out bowled to Irfan Pathan’s medium pace for eight runs in the second over.

From then on however, Kumar Sangakkara joined Sunny Sohal and the two laid the foundations of a big score for their team. They put on 92 runs for the second wicket in 10.3 overs and it seemed enough momentum to carry them across the 180-run mark. But the first blow to their hopes came with the fall of Sangakkara’s wicket.

He was out for 49 runs off 35 balls, including eight fours and one six, to a superb backpedalling catch from Aaron Finch. He was an unlucky to lose his wicket as Ashok Dinda was lucky to get it. Sohal meanwhile carried on for three more overs and completed his half century in the 13th over.

As soon as he was done, he hit a six and a four in the 14th over by Morne Morkel, in all taking his tally to eight fours and one six. In the 15th over he was out trying to force some unnatural pace on to the scoring.

At the other end meanwhile Cameron White, playing in place of JP Duminy, fully justified his selection smacking 31 runs off 25 balls, with two fours and a six, taking the total to 168 for 4 after 20 overs. Somehow Delhi had done enough to stop them short by nearly twenty runs.